Chapter 47 The Campus Genius Used as Cannon Fodder (Part 11) "But..."

"Just keeping an eye on things? Didn't you do anything else?" Shen Zechen frowned and asked in confusion.

"Yes, I once heard Wen Yin mutter to herself that she was very moral and did not intend to be a third party to interfere in the relationship between the male and female protagonists. She believed that even if no one else knew about their beautiful and pure love, it would not be acceptable."

Lin You was helpless to help her with her insistence on targeting only Shen Zechen.

Upon hearing the word "love," Shen Zechen couldn't help but snort.

"The male lead should be named Gu Jin. He is 1.8 meters tall, has long legs, is extremely handsome, comes from a good family, has never had a girlfriend, and is gentle. He is the standard male lead in a sweet campus romance novel."

Shen Zechen scoffed at this. What good is being handsome? A good family background only breeds spoiled brats. So what if he's never had a girlfriend? Maybe he has some unspeakable secret!

As for his personality, who knows if it's an act? He'll go back and investigate this person thoroughly!

Shen Zechen, full of energy, typed away on the computer for a while. Lin You watched as he first found Gu Jin's height, weight, hobbies, and family background.

They then dug out all his report cards from childhood to adulthood, showing what awards he had won and what scores he had achieved.

Then it goes on to tell you which classmates he's close to, who he's argued with and what they argued about, which female classmate has a crush on him, and so on.

He even managed to access Gu Jin's mother's WeChat Moments, finding out exactly when the boy was weaned and at what age he stopped weaning.

Lin You looked at the information he had found, and from a girl's perspective, she thought it was pretty good. Hearing her evaluation, Shen Zechen's expression darkened even more.

He specially brought a notebook and wrote down the things he found out one by one. Lin You looked at that pile of embarrassing history and couldn't help but silently mourn for the male protagonist for three seconds.

The male protagonist probably doesn't even remember having so many embarrassing moments. Ironically, before he's even met his girlfriend, his future brother-in-law has already set his sights on her.

"Is this something we're going to show our sister?!" How desperate must the male protagonist be? Shen Zechen even printed out his baby photos from when he was 100 days old and pasted them on the screen.

"We'll see how it goes. If he doesn't pass the test, then there's no need to bring it out." Shen Zechen's words were full of disdain.

Seeing that he was even planning to write down things like how old the male lead was when he lost his baby teeth, Lin You quickly and subtly stopped him, reminding him, "Our sister is starting military training tomorrow, aren't you going to go see her and bring her something?"

Seeing that he still hadn't reacted, Lin You continued, "Standing at attention and running in this heat, without even a shady spot, I wonder if my little sister brought sunscreen, a water bottle, whether her shoes fit, and if we can find a place to buy insoles, as well as some medicated oil and anti-inflammatory medicine..."

Shen Zechen had taken leave during military training because he was feeling unwell, and had no idea that so much would happen. He ran out before Lin You could finish speaking.

Halfway through the run, he suddenly stopped and paced back and forth. Seeing his conflicted expression, Lin You suddenly remembered the plot.

The female lead in the drama only saw him as a kind friend who had saved her, not as a brother, so did he never acknowledge his sister?

"Brother Ze, why won't your aunt let you acknowledge your relatives?" Lin You couldn't help but ask when she saw him pacing anxiously.

Shen Zechen spoke after a long while: "She doesn't want me to change my surname back to Yu. She said that the prestigious university student she raised with all her heart and soul can only have her surname for the rest of his life."

Lin You was dumbfounded. What kind of bizarre reason was that?

It turns out that the reason why Ms. Shen and Mr. Yu divorced in the first place was simply because they disagreed on their educational philosophies.

The mother believed that since her child was gifted, he should learn more. So, the parents scrimped and saved to send their children to various tutoring classes, so that the second graders had to learn the knowledge of the fourth and fifth grades.

However, the father felt that the child was smart and would learn quickly, so why waste so much money? They weren't a wealthy family, and it was enough for them to go to school normally.

Shen's mother was too stubborn, and Yu's father was indifferent. Their conflicts grew bigger and bigger until Yu's father had an affair, which led to the breakdown of their marriage and their separation.

Shen's mother took Shen Zechen away and worked two jobs, day and night, to earn money to send Shen Zechen to various tutoring classes.

Shen Zechen tried to persuade her several times, but to no avail. Fearing that her body couldn't handle it, he desperately tried to prove that he could do well on the exam without spending so much money. But it was too late. After the college entrance exam, he learned that his mother had terminal cancer.

Shen's mother waited until his college entrance exam scores came out before she closed her eyes in peace. On her deathbed, she forced her son to swear that he would not acknowledge any of his family members.

Lin You remained silent for a long time; she didn't know how to advise anyone on this matter.

"How about we pretend to have amnesia? We can say we recognize her very well and feel a strong connection with her, and then become her god-sister? That shouldn't count as officially recognizing her, right?" Lin You suggested a bad idea.

Shen Zechen's lips twitched, and he couldn't help but retort to Lin You: "Watch less melodramatic TV dramas, it'll affect your IQ."

"What should we do then? Wen Yin was imitating the female lead before, including the time we first met. What if she, a girl, gets bullied again? She doesn't even have anyone to ask for help in an emergency!" Lin You's words made Shen Zechen's eyes change, and he finally made up his mind.

He would naturally keep his promise to his mother, but he would also protect his younger sister. At worst, he would let her take his surname, Chen. Anyway, his father had a new family and he didn't care much about this daughter.

Lin You watched as he bought a lot of things, and even went home to pack some snacks before finding a classmate who ran errands on campus to earn pocket money, and then delivered them to her sister's dormitory.

As for how he knew which dormitory his sister lived in, Lin You couldn't help but mutter a complaint under her breath when she saw that he had specially taken on a campus network maintenance task, indicating that he still abided by the law.

"Brother Ze, where was the law when you dug up Gu Jin's dark past?"

Shen Zechen, however, stated that all the information he received about Gu Jin came from his friends and family members, which was publicly posted on their WeChat Moments and Weibo accounts, and therefore did not constitute an invasion of privacy.

He plans to become a civil servant in the future, so how could he possibly leave himself with a criminal record?

Yu Shumeng had just finished making her bed when she received a bunch of things from who-knows-who. She was good-looking and had received many love letters since junior high school. She thought it was another suitor and was about to refuse when she saw the snacks in the transparent plastic bag.

It had very simple packaging, but it was the most popular snack among children ten years ago, and it was also the last thing her brother gave her before he passed away.

Lin You came over with the errand girl. After she finished packing, she held a very ordinary bag of cookies and stared blankly for a while before continuing to pack her luggage.

When Lin You told Shen Zechen this information, she saw him smile slightly and walk back with a lighter step.

Is Ze-ge giving his sister a secret signal?

Although she didn't know what kind of riddle the two were talking about, Lin You was relieved. She gestured with her hands and said, "Our sister's luggage is so meager. Her clothes are all old, and she doesn't have many pieces. Her cosmetics are just a two-yuan bag of moisturizer. She's lost a lot of weight..."

Lin You's description made Shen Zechen even more determined. He went back and asked his sister for her opinion, and then directly transferred her household registration to his side!

Shen Zechen was initially concerned about his mother's dying wish, but compared to his sister's health, other insistences seemed less important.

Anyway, once he moves his sister's household registration out and changes her surname, she won't be considered family anymore. Then even his sister, a college student, will have the surname Chen. His mother should be very happy.

Lin You outwardly agreed with his statement, but inwardly she felt that if Shen's mother saw her daughter, who had been raised without any support, and her son, whom she had raised with great care, both getting into the same university, she would probably feel resentful.

Having figured things out, Shen Zechen packed a lot of food and drinks and had someone deliver them to his younger sister, including braised pork that he had made himself.

The cafeteria is a bit far from the dormitory. His sister just arrived and doesn't know the area well. What if she gets lost again?

That evening, Yu Shumeng received another large bag of things, including fruit, milk, small cakes, and braised pork, which she loved to eat as a child.

The braised pork belly, with its glossy reddish-brown color and enticing aroma, was piled high in a thermos, along with tenderly stewed potatoes and tofu knots. It was also thoughtfully served with a separate bucket of rice.

I don't know what her brother was thinking. What kind of girl would eat so much braised pork so late at night? Doesn't she care about her figure?

Yu Shumeng couldn't help but swallow as she smelled the incredibly fragrant meat. Then, she looked at the three friends she had just met that day and asked, "My husband, who lives alone, brought this food. Can you ladies help share the load?"

As for why I call him an "empty-nest brother," just look at how his brother brings a bucket of braised pork to a girl in the middle of the night; you'll know he definitely doesn't have a girlfriend.

The other three girls hadn't figured out where the cafeteria was either. They had originally planned to eat a couple of cookies to tide them over, but now, looking at the generous portions of food and Yu Shumeng's slender figure, and listening to her complaints, they couldn't help but laugh.

"You made this yourself, right? It looks really good." A girl from northern China named Bei Keke was the first to take her lunchbox.

The four girls divided the two large insulated containers among themselves, and they all praised Shen Zechen's cooking skills.

When Yu Shumeng put the snacks away in the cabinet, she discovered a small, cute folded bunny inside the bag.

When she was little, her brother would fold little rabbits out of old newspapers to cheer her up when she was unhappy, but this time he went too far.

If you're so capable of delivering takeout to me, then come over here!

Yu Shumeng snorted, tucked the rabbit into her favorite book, and casually tore open a bag of cucumber-flavored potato chips and took a couple of bites.

Hmm, she's never tried this flavor of potato chips before. It has a refreshing and crispy texture, which is quite good.

Okay, for the sake of the potato chips, I'll let it go.

Lin You watched the little girl whimper and then soothe herself, and couldn't help but find it amusing. This girl's thoughts were written all over her face; you could tell at a glance. She wasn't even as shrewd as Chu Qing was when she was six.

Lin You watched for a while longer, and seeing that she and her roommate were getting along well, she felt relieved and went back.

During freshmen's military training, some upperclassmen like to watch, but most of them pretend to be serious, carrying a book and secretly watching the show from the side.

But this time, someone actually brought half a watermelon, took a spoon, and sat under the shade of a tree, eating and watching with blatant malice, looking like they were enjoying a good show.

The emerald green rind was covered with white frost, clearly indicating it had just been taken out of the refrigerator. A large chunk of the sandy flesh was scooped out with a spoon, and the bright red, juicy pulp was devoured in one bite. It looked incredibly sweet!

Seeing the condemning looks from his younger schoolmates, the senior student, who was just watching the drama unfold, raised an eyebrow at them and ate with even more relish.

Yu Shumeng hadn't paid any attention to the bystander, but as she turned around, she noticed a rabbit carved on the watermelon rind he was holding.

Seeing her looking over, Shen Zechen waved to her, which made Yu Shumeng's expression gradually turn from shock to disbelief.

That's impossible! Her brother, who was gentle, considerate, mature, steady, and refined since childhood, could never have a baby face. Not only does he look childish, but he also has such a cunning personality!

Yu Shumeng's class of freshmen just watched as the senior students, who were leisurely eating watermelon under the shade of the tree, finished half a watermelon, then took out a bag of sunflower seeds, humming a little tune as they cracked them open, while watching them stand at attention.

While they were running, the senior was peeling juicy, obviously sweet grapes; while they were lining up, the senior was eating crispy ice cream sprinkled with chocolate chips; while they were standing at attention, the senior was drinking milk tea with visible ice cubes.

A sharp-eyed student, T, noticed that the senior had brought a small refrigerator. The moment he opened it, the drinks, ice cream, and popsicles inside were steaming.

After military training ended, Yu Shumeng had no desire to go over there; she didn't want to be ostracized by her classmates on the first day of school.

While munching on an ice cream, Shen Zechen waved a cup of milk tea at her. The classmate immediately noticed the interaction, and her gaze towards Yu Shumeng changed instantly.

Well, it doesn't matter whether we go or not now.

Yu Shumeng walked up to Shen Zechen and smiled gently, "Little classmate, are you a junior high school student from nearby who sneaked in to play?"

Provoked by these words, Shen Zechen choked on a piece of ice cream cone, coughing for a while before finally swallowing it. He glared at her fiercely and said, "Mengmeng, do you dare say that again!"

"Oh my, it's my brother who's always elusive! I haven't seen him in years, I almost didn't recognize him."

Shen Zechen was instantly speechless at her words. He was about to explain when she suddenly leaned closer.

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Author's Note: [Owl emoji]